Huw Davies KC

Professional practice

Described as “a superb lawyer” and “an incredibly effective advocate”, Huw is recognised as one of the leading silks at the Commercial Bar and is a former Joint Head of Essex Court Chambers. He is acknowledged as being a “super clever black letter lawyer” and a “very effective cross examiner”. Huw is consistently praised as being “incredibly user friendly”, “easy to work with” and having “great commercial acumen and excellent advocacy skills”.

Huw specialises as an advocate and advisor in relation to substantial commercial disputes both in court and arbitration. He appears regularly in the High Court (in trials and heavy applications) and all levels of appellate courts in England and Wales. He frequently acts in international arbitrations conducted in the UK and abroad; many of the court applications in which he is concerned are arbitration related. Huw also appears before courts in offshore jurisdictions including the UAE, the BVI, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.

His practice spans a wide range of fields in commercial law. His background lies in insurance, shipping and commercial fraud work although his practice now spans commercial disputes of all kinds, with a particular emphasis on multi-party civil fraud matters, complex jurisdiction and conflict of laws disputes, shareholder/joint venture disputes and arbitration applications.

He has often acted as co-counsel with overseas lawyers (U.S., Indian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Caribbean) and is very much a “team player” who is also “so client friendly and approachable”. He is renowned for providing clear and confident advice which is delivered with a lack of pomposity.

His clients include states and state entities, major commercial corporations and banks as well as high net-worth individuals.

He is frequently appointed as arbitrator in commercial arbitrations (including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and ad hoc). He is also a CEDR accredited mediator.

What others say

Huw is recommended in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 in various disciplines, including Aviation, Commercial Dispute Resolution, International Arbitration and Civil Fraud.

Comments include:

Chambers & Partners 2025

“He reads the room very well.”
“Huw is good with judges and hits the right tone.”
“He’s got excellent judgement about how to position points with judges and tribunals.”
“Sharp and humorous, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and treats everyone with equal respect.”
“Huw is an incredibly good team player.”

The Legal 500 2024

“A strong sense of what really matters in a case, what a tribunal will be interested in and needs to be emphasised in a hearing. Very personable and good at dealing with solicitors at all levels.’

Chambers & Partners 2024

“Huw Davies is always effective in court and a great advocate.”
“Huw is very direct and clear, and has the ability to stand up to judges.”
“Huw’s cross-examination was extraordinarily effective.”

The Legal 500 2023

“An excellent advocate with a calm and convincing style. Responsive and direct regarding advice.”
“Huw has impeccable judgment and excellent court skills – quick on his feet and exceptional cross examination skills.”
“Huw is an extremely adept advocate. His cross-examination is forensic. The style of presentation and delivery of his arguments is appropriately understated. He plays very well with tribunals and judges.”
“An excellent advocate with a calm and convincing style. Responsive and direct regarding advice.”
“Huw has impeccable judgment and excellent court skills – quick on his feet and exceptional cross examination skills.”

Chambers & Partners 2023

“He is an experienced silk and a very forceful advocate.”
“Huw is a masterful tactician.”
“A fine lawyer and a fantastic advocate. He is easy to work with and clients love him.”
“He is an experienced silk and a very forceful advocate.”

Chambers & Partners 2022

“Delivers outstanding outcomes in complex long-running commercial disputes. He produces innovative thinking and excellent advocacy.”

The Legal 500 2022

“Highly recommended for complex disputes.”

The Legal 500 2021

“Great to work with; he is responsive and accessible and is a persuasive advocate, his depth of experience and affable manner make him an invaluable asset both in the Court room and on the page.”
“Very approachable and as comfortable dealing with the most junior associate as the partner, it is a pleasure to pick up the phone to talk to him.”
“Clear on which issues matter and which don’t, with an eye on the client outcome at all times, which means he cuts through difficult issues – he is happy to stand by his judgement which is informed by his own experience as an arbitrator.”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“Robust and user-friendly”
“He is easy to work with and has both great commercial acumen and excellent advocacy skills.”

The Legal 500 2020

“Very user-friendly and has a superbly under-stated courtroom manner.”
“Excellent in all areas, a joy to work with, and really impressive in both his written and oral presentations.”

Chambers & Partners 2019

“As at home fighting a big-money dispute in the Commercial Court as he is parrying and attacking in a complex international arbitration.” “Provides confident advice.”

RECENT NOTABLE CASES AS COUNSEL

M v S. [Parties anonymised] An ICC arbitration in which HD acted on behalf of the respondent insurer together with Ed Batrouney, instructed by CMS. The week-long arbitration in January 2026 concerned the loss of a communications satellite and involved issues of policy construction, misrepresentation and non-disclosure. [2025-2026]

H v F. [Parties anonymised] Two ad hoc arbitrations in which HD was instructed for the respondent by Bird & Bird, leading Ben Waistell. In the first arbitration HD successfully resisted the Claimant’s attempt to pursue new claims post the publication of a partial final award on the grounds that the arbitral Tribunal was functus officio in relation to any fresh claims. In the second arbitration HD was successful in defeating the new reference by asserting and relying on the principle of Henderson v Henderson. [2023-2026]

U v R Inc. [Parties anonymised] An ICC arbitration in which HD was instructed by Bird & Bird for the claimant leading Edward Batrouney. This was a long running multi-jurisdictional dispute which finally took place over two weeks in Toronto, Canada in December 2024. The claimant was successful in resisting various patent counterclaims and counterclaims for damages in excess of US$250 million involving allegations of breach of contract, breach of trade secrets and misuse of confidential information. [2017-2026]

Greensill Bank AG (in insolvency) v Zurich Insurance Co Ltd v (1) Greensill Capital (UK) Ltd (2) Alexander Greensill (3) Sanjeev Gupta (4) Liberty Commodities Ltd and Others. HD is instructed on behalf of Sanjeev Gupta by Pennington Manches Cooper, leading Gregory Denton-Cox and Josh O’Neill. The case concerns the collapse of the Greensill Capital Group. It is a substantial multi-party and multi-jurisdictional commercial fraud claim which is set down for trial in October 2027. [2024-2026]

NMC Healthcare (in administration)/Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC v (1) Shetty (2) Prasanth Manghat (3) Bank of Baroda. These are consolidated proceedings in the ADGM Courts, arising out of the collapse of the NMC Healthcare Group. HD was instructed by Kobre & Kim (leading David Peters KC and Sophia Hurst) on behalf of the Second Defendant in response to a US$2 billion claim brought by (1) the NMC group’s administrators and (2) ADC Bank as a creditor of NMC. Following numerous interlocutory skirmishes, HD ceased acting before the trial of the matter when the Second Defendant’s D&O insurance became exhausted. [2022-2025]

ED&F Man Capital Markets Ltd v Come Harvest Holdings Ltd and 9 other defendants, including Straits (Singapore) Pte Ltd as the Tenth Defendant. HD was instructed by Clyde & Co to act on behalf of the claimant in this matter leading John Robb and Katherine Ratcliffe. The claim involved a substantial cross border fraud concerning the theft of approximately US$300 million arising out of the production of counterfeit warehouse receipts for commodities of nickel. The claimant succeeded at first instance and in the Court of Appeal in resisting a challenge to the jurisdiction by Straits; the case is now a leading authority on issues relating to service out of the jurisdiction: [2019] EWCA Civ 2073. The claimant went on to succeed in its claims against the defendants following a six-week Commercial Court trial: [2022] EWHC 229 (Civ). It also succeeded in having Straits’ appeal to the Court of Appeal dismissed: [2022 EWCA Civ 1704. [2019-2023]

UCP Plc v Nectrus Ltd. HD was instructed by Skadden LLP on behalf of the claimant, leading Felix Wardle. The claimant brought proceedings against the defendant in the Commercial Court for damages in respect of Nectrus’ breaches of duty in relation to investments made in India (including allegations of fraud). Claims were also pursued in the Isle of Man and in arbitration in India. The claimant was successful in resisting the defendant’s application for a stay of the English proceedings: [2018] 1 WLR 3409. The claimant also succeeded on liability and quantum in two separate Commercial Court trials: [2019] EWHC 1732 (Comm) and [2019] EWHC 3274 (Comm). The claimant was initially successful in the Court of Appeal on the issue of quantum (in relation to the question of “reflective loss”): [2021] EWCA Civ 57. Following a change in the law on the issue of “reflective loss” by reason of the Privy Council decision in the Primeo Fund v Bank of Bermuda case, the defendant was successful in overturning the Court of Appeal’s initial decision: [2023] 1WLR 39. [2017-2023]

Bonnier Books v HaysMacintyre LLP. This was a substantial auditor’s negligence claim that was settled shortly before the commencement of a seven-week trial. HD was instructed from the outset by Mischons on behalf of the claimant, leading David Walsh KC, Rebecca Akushi and Lorraine Aboagye. [2020-2023]

W v Various Insurers on several layers. [Parties anonymised] HD was instructed by Addleshaw Goddard, leading Jeremy Brier KC and Katherine Ratcliffe, on behalf of the claimant in a series of arbitrations against various layers of insurers under excess of loss liability policies in respect of a substantial claim (in the sum of approx. US$350 million) arising out of damage caused by products manufactured and supplied to the US market by the claimant. The claims gave rise to numerous coverage issues and involved issues of New York law, Washington law and English law. [2018-2025]

A Hotels v BM Ltd [Parties anonymised] HD was instructed in this matter on behalf of the claimant by Jones Day in this matter, leading Owen Lloyd. It concerned the extent to which the defendant owner of a luxury hotel was obliged to invest in the hotel and whether the claimant management company was in breach of the underlying management agreement. The claimant succeeded on its claims and successfully defeated all of the respondent’s counterclaims following a two-week hearing. [2020-2021]

John Lobb Ltd v John Lobb SA. HD acted for the defendant in this long-running matter concerning the ownership of certain valuable trade marks and patents. HD was instructed by DLA Piper, leading Jaani Riordan. HD was successful on appeal in having claimant’s claim summarily dismissed. The matter gave rise to issues of common mistake, estoppel and limitation: [2022] EWHC 2306 (Ch). [2017-2022]

Lopesan Touristik SA v Apollo Fund LP. This was a cross-border dispute concerning the enforcement of an SPA and Equity Commitment Letter in respect of the purchase of a substantial hotel in Gran Canaria for €93 million. The claimant sought expedition of the Commercial Court claim and succeeded in having several Preliminary Issues on the construction of the ECL determined in its favour. HD was instructed in the Commercial Court claim on behalf of the claimant by Addleshaw Goddard, leading David Peters KC: [2020] EWHC 2642 (Comm) and [2021] EWHC 2141. [2020-2021]

GK (Malaysia) v MRC. [Parties anonymised]. HD was instructed in this matter on behalf of the respondent by Shearn Delamore & Co. It concerned the interpretation of a Shareholders’ Agreement in relation to a substantial infrastructure development in Kuala Lumpa. The SHA was governed by the laws of Malaysia and the matter was determined in the respondent’s favour following a two-week arbitration with a Singapore seat. [2020]

Carpatsky Petroleum Corporation v PJSC Ukrnafta. HD was instructed by Bird & Bird leading Felix Wardle on behalf of the claimant in seeking to enforce a Stockholm CC Arbitration Award in England against the state-owned Defendant in the sum of US$150 million. The Defendant applied to set aside the enforcement proceedings on multiple grounds. Numerous issues arose concerning foreign law (Swedish, Ukrainian and Delaware), contractual interpretation, arbitral procedure and public policy. The Claimant was successful in striking out the Defendant’s case based on fraud, resolving important issues on the enforcement of foreign arbitration awards in England and Wales: [2018] EWHC 2516 (Comm). The Claimant was also successful in defeating the issues of jurisdiction raised by the Defendant following a two-week Commercial Court trial: [2020] EWHC 769 (Comm). [2017-2020]

E.D. LLC v P.A. Inc. [Parties anonymised] HD was instructed by Clyde & Co leading Andrew Legg on behalf of the Respondent. It was a two week LCIA Arbitration on liability concerning an agreement for the provision of deepsea drilling services (in the oil sector). The case involved substantial claims and counterclaims (in excess of US$250 million) arising out of P.A.’s termination of the drilling agreement on the grounds of alleged bribery and fraud. Issues of attribution of knowledge, agency, conspiracy, knowing receipt, illegality and restitution arose. The matter was resolved amicably after a two-week hearing had taken place. [2017-2018]

Career

2019 Called to BVI Bar

2009 Called to the Bar of Gibraltar

2008 Admitted to the Courts of the DIFC

2006 Queen’s Counsel

1991 Essex Court Chambers

1987 1 Crown Office Row

1985 Call: Gray’s Inn

Education

1985 BVC, Council of Legal Education

1984 LLB (Hons) (First Class Honours), University College, Cardiff University

Awards